The Belladonna

Chapter 19 - Man-o-war

"Down to the King and down to his fucking Man-o-war!"

Dustin drew his cutlass and raised it up in the air with so much dignity and pride that it washed over the entire ship covering it completely and sending the crew into a frenzy. There was the sound of scarping metal as his men unsheathed their blades. Sky raised her hand with along them.

Dustin smiled. He instantly began calling out orders and his men followed without question. They ran up and down the deck unhooking all the cannons from the port side and wheeled them over to starboard as if they weighed nothing. Sky watched as they fitted them in between each cannon and began filling them with powder. She was glad that they were moving only the main deck guns otherwise the whole ship would capsize. Cannon balls of different varieties were placed on the deck next to the guns. There were strong balls and fire shots and ones that were held together with a chain.

"Sky." Her name drew her attention. Dustin was looking at her with blazing eyes. "I need to you watch that ship. Tell me everything it does. Everything. Am I clear."

"Yes sir." She said.

"Fane!" The captain yelled, "Keep an eye on the Frigate. If she shoots first we're screwed." Fane nodded and turned his gaze to the ship on the starboard side.

"Thomas!"

"Aye Cap'n." Thomas was standing behind them.

"This plan might not work. I need to know that you-"

"Dust," Thomas cut him off, "I would follow you into hell and back with a smile of my face and my blade drawn if you merely asked." Dustin gave him a smile full of so much love and friendship that it warmed Sky's heart.

"What is the plan?" She asked hating to destroy the moment. Dustin looked at her and frowned as if he wasn't really sure.

"We have one shot. There is no way we stand a chance against that bitch." He pointed to the Man-o-war that was visible without the use of a spyglass now.

"So, we need to focus our fire power on the frigate. If they keep going the path they are we might, might, be able to slip past one of them." Sky nodded.

"So you plan on sinking the Frigate and evading the other?"

"That's the plan. But by the time we get there they will be ready. If the frigate hits us we will lose the wind and then, well, you know what happens then."

The warship sinks us in a second. Sky finished swallowing against her dry throat.

"The frigate will be just out of her line of fire." Thomas spoke.

"Aye, but we won't." Dustin responded saying Sky's thoughts. "There isn't enough time to go around her so we have to sink her and hope that we are just out of reach for the man-o-war."